394 NATURAL HISTORY 



open places where no rime could reach us. Were they 

 watery particles of the air frozen as they floated ; or 

 were they evaporations from the snow frozen as they 

 mounted ? 



We were much obliged to the thermometers for the 

 early information they gave us ; and hurried our apples, 

 pears, onions, potatoes, &c. into the cellar, and warm 

 closets; while those who had not, or neglected, such 

 warnings, lost all their stores of roots and fruits, and 

 had their very bread and cheese frozen. 



I must not omit to tell you that, during those two 

 Siberian days, my parlour cat was so electric, that had 

 a person stroked her, and been properly insulated, the 

 shock might have been given to a whole circle of 

 people. 



I forgot to mention before, that, during the two severe 

 days, two men, who were tracing hares in the snow, had 

 their feet frozen ; and two men, who were much better 

 employed, had their fingers so affected by the frost, 

 while they were thrashing in a barn, that a mortifica- 

 tion followed, from which they did not recover for many 

 weeks. 



This frost killed all the furze and most of the ivy, 

 and in many places stripped the hollies of all their 

 leaves. It came at a very early time of the year, before 

 old November ended ; and yet may be allowed from its 

 effects to have exceeded any since 1739-40. 



LETTER LXIV. 



TO THE SAME. 



As the effects of heat are seldom very remarkable in 

 the northerly climate of England, where the summers 

 are often so defective in warmth and sunshine as not 

 to ripen the fruits of the earth so well as might be 

 wished, I shall be more concise in my account of the 



